Hugo Selenski

Serial Killer

Hugo Selenski: The Murders, Backyard Graves, and Prison Escape

Background

Hugo Marcus Selenski became one of Pennsylvania's most notorious convicted murderers after investigators discovered the remains of multiple people on property where he lived in Kingston Township, Luzerne County. The case attracted widespread attention because of the number of bodies found, the brutality described by prosecutors, Selenski's alleged efforts to obtain money from his victims, and his dramatic escape from the Luzerne County Correctional Facility. Selenski was born on August 13, 1973, and spent much of his life in northeastern Pennsylvania. Before the murder investigation, he accumulated a criminal history that included robbery-related offenses. Authorities eventually portrayed him as a manipulative and violent offender who targeted people he believed had access to money, drugs, jewelry, or other valuables. However, an important distinction must be made: although Selenski has frequently been described as a serial killer and several sets of human remains were found on the property, he was convicted of murdering two peopleMichael Jason Kerkowski and Tammy Lynn Fassett. He was tried but acquitted of murdering two other identified victims found there.

The Disappearance of Michael Kerkowski and Tammy Fassett

Michael Jason Kerkowski was a pharmacist who owned a Medicine Shoppe pharmacy in Wyoming County. He had become involved in the illegal distribution of prescription drugs and was awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to drug charges. Prosecutors later argued that Selenski knew Kerkowski had earned and concealed a substantial amount of money through the illegal operation. Kerkowski and his girlfriend, Tammy Lynn Fassett, disappeared during the first days of May 2002. Family members reported them missing on May 6 after they could not be contacted. Kerkowski subsequently failed to appear for a scheduled court proceeding, initially causing some people to believe that he had deliberately fled to avoid sentencing. That belief gave the killers time to conceal what had actually happened. According to the prosecution's case, Selenski and his associate, Paul Raymond Weakley, went to Kerkowski's home in Hunlock Township on May 3, 2002, intending to rob him. Prosecutors alleged that Kerkowski was restrained and tortured as the attackers demanded information about money. Fassett was also bound and was killed because she was a witness to the crime. Both victims were strangled with plastic flex cuffs. Fassett's hands, ankles, and neck were bound, while Kerkowski's hands were restrained and duct tape covered his eyes. The prosecution maintained that Kerkowski was forced to endure an extended ordeal before his death as Selenski and Weakley attempted to obtain money from him. ...

Confirmed Victims: (4)

Michael Kerkowski Age: (37), Date of Death: 2002-05-03

20 years since Hugo Selenski escaped prison using bed sheets